The Trials of the Lost Goddess
by Otorisosa-kan
Summary: Only one of the six friends can pass the trials to rediscover her goddess abilities. The ultimate question is, will she be willing to go through with it? For my writing challenge
1. Chapter 1

"She's cute, huh?"

Yoshimasa hummed as he glanced at the group of girls in the clearing of the woods, making flower chains for one another.

"Yeah but she kind of looks out of place," he whispered whilst watching Rin who sat on a tree stump by herself, plucking the dying flowers out of her hair.

"Huh? Are we looking at the same girl?"

Yoshimasa glanced at his group of friends that were spying on the girls and shrugged.

"Ah, sorry, I suppose you weren't talking about Rin…" he murmured with a blush.

"No, I mean come on," Miyu snorted "Who here actually likes Rin?"

"I do…"

Yoshimasa turned his gaze back to Rin to avoid the five bewildered gazes.

"Yeah and that's why you're here," Daiskue snorted "Distract the depressed girl so she doesn't come onto us."

"She isn't the kind of person to do that," Yoshimasa said as he smiled softly.

"Yeah because you've been watching her since the beginning of the year," Toshiyuki smirked.

"Excuse me…"

The group sighed softly as he climbed up the tree he was hiding behind so he could get a closer look.

"I don't know, Rin is kind of cold, pretty distant," Yuuto commented as he glanced at Rin then spied Megumi who was surrounded by the four other girls "Megumi…she's so pretty."

"Yeah, that's why we're here isn't it?" Toshiyuki shrugged.

"I don't know," Hiroshi hummed "Ren's cute."

"Yeah but not as cute as Hana," Daisuke sighed softly.

"Yes but she's pretty much got her head stuck up in the clouds," Yuuto huffed "Now Riku, she's more down to earth."

"But not as beautiful as Mai."

The group of five boys sighed softly before resuming their spying.

* * *

"Rin! Why did you take the flowers out?"

Rin looked up at Hana who looked upset.

"They died," she answered bluntly.

"That's ridiculous, I put them in just a few minutes ago…"

Hana followed where Rin's red eyes went and her pink eyes teared up at the shrivelled flowers next to her.

"I told you, things die around me," Rin said with hunched shoulders.

"Oh no they don't, here let me put some more in!"

Rin didn't move as Hana bent down to pick more flowers.

"Why are we doing this?" Rin asked as she let Hana tucked the flowers into her black tresses.

"Because it's fun!" Hana giggled "It's like we're Greek nymphs and we don't have to worry about anything."

"Other than death?"

"Oh, Rin, you're such a goth," Megumi groaned as she and the other girls circled her to place flowers in the lower lengths of her hair "Really, you should cut and dye your hair, maybe a nice light blue…"

"I'm blue," Ren said as she reached out to place flowers behind Rin's ears "She can go pink."

"I prefer my natural colour," Rin said as she rested her chin on her palm.

"I don't know, change can be good," Riku shrugged "If you're into natural colours then maybe go blonde."

"No," Rin and Megumi, who had long blonde hair, said.

"Huh, this must be an old flower, it's already shrivelling up," Mai frowned as she plucked a browning flower out of Rin's hair.

"I told you," Rin hummed as she drummed her fingers patiently.

"Well it doesn't matter, flowers aren't the only things to make you pretty," Hana frowned as she took the dying flower and blinked as it slowly got its colour back.

"I'm fine just the way I am," Rin shrugged as more dead flowers fell out of her hair.

"I suppose we should just leave her looking like this," Megumi smiled and hugged Rin tightly from behind "She makes us look prettier than normal."

"Megumi!" Mai exclaimed.

"It's fine, she's right," Rin said without missing a beat.

"I'm thirsty, can we go home now?" Ren panted as she shaded her eyes from the sun.

"How about dropping by that café?" Megumi suggested as she pushed against Rin's protesting hands to get rid of her.

"Sure, but time is running out, it'll be evening soon…" Mai glanced at the sky.

"Oh, you're like an overprotective mom," Hana pouted.

"Yeah, more protective than my mom," Riku raised an eyebrow.

"Well, have you read the newspapers?" Mai folded her arms "Crime rates have been rising and someone got killed nearby."

"That was a hit and run accident," Megumi snorted.

"You only need to worry if someone got killed in a similar area, in a similar fashion and at a similar time," Rin said as she flicked off the rest of the dead flowers in her hair "Then it'll be a serial killer. How exciting and unfortunate."

"Well I don't want one of us to be that next victim," Mai said with folded arms.

"Relax it's fine, we'll be in a group," Megumi huffed as she finally withdrew from Rin "Would be nice if we had a nice strong boy to look after us."

"Yeah, Megumi, you need to decide on a boyfriend already!"

Megumi giggled as she sat on what space was available on the tree stump.

"Well I can't quite decide on either Miyu or Toshiyuki," she smiled.

"Rin, I know the perfect guy for you!" Hana suddenly exclaimed.

"Not interested," Rin said immediately.

"Daisuke Sugiyama!"

The other girls nodded eagerly in agreement as Rin looked up at Hana with a frown.

"Don't know him."

"Sure you do, he's in our class," Ren said with folded arms "He even sits next to you."

"Never took an interest in him," Rin shrugged.

"That is the biggest lie a girl has ever said," Megumi giggled "Come on, Rin! You and Daiskue would make a sweet couple!"

"I have no interest in boys," Rin insisted.

"Fine, Rin, what about Yoshimasa, he seems to like you," Mai suggested with a sweet smile.

"Ew!" was the reaction from the four other girls as Rin raised an eyebrow at her.

"That is cruel, Mai," Megumi sighed as she rolled her eyes "Not even our Rin deserves a creep like him."

"I'm not your Rin."

"You'll always be my Rin!" Megumi squealed as she hugged Rin tightly.

"Get off me."

The girls giggled whilst Rin kept her poker face. The laughter was cut off when a branch snapped and a figure dropped into the patch of flowers.

"Who's that?" Megumi drawled as Hana peered over to look at him.

"Ew, ew, ew, it's Yoshimasa!"

The other girls screamed and ran off, leaving Rin sitting on the tree stump, staring at the limp form of her classmate. There were other shouts and other boys shot across the forest clearing, chasing after the girls. Rin watched them disappear into the woods then looked at Yoshimasa as he groaned softly and sat up, blinking up at her.

"Oh, Rin!" he exclaimed with a light blush.

"Yoshimasa," Rin nodded as she began raking her fingers through her hair to make sure there weren't any other dead flowers left.

"Oh! You know my name!"

"Yeah, the others said it," Rin said as she took no notice of the glimmer of hope in his green eyes.

"Oh right," he sounded disheartened.

"Did you come to weave flowers into your hair?"

Yoshimasa jumped at Rin's blunt statement and shook his head.

"No, I, I, I…"

Rin wasn't really paying attention to his rambling as she focused more on getting rid of the dry stems in her hair until a whole bouquet got shoved under her nose.

"Please go out with me!"

Rin looked down at him as he bowed his head, his cheeks flushed brightly. She pushed the flowers down and bent down to look him over his glasses when he looked up.

"You can't go out with me," she said.

"What?" Yoshimasa looked crushed "Why?"

"Because everything I touch dies," Rin replied as she lifted her hand from the flowers that had begun to wither.

Yoshimasa snorted as he tossed the flowers aside.

"Please, Megumi was hugging you all the time so it doesn't work with humans," he said and he was met with a serious look.

He blushed brighter as Rin leaned forward and kissed his cheek. His breath left him as his heart fluttered until his cheek felt very cold. Rin leaned back as he felt his cheek, skin had begun flaking off where she had just kissed him.

"Now imagine if I did something more than kiss your cheek," she said whilst looking away.

"But Megumi…"

"They're weird, they're all weird," Rin huffed "They don't die."

Yoshimasa cupped his cheek and looked up at her.

"It's a curse!"

"Excuse me?" Rin raised a sceptical eyebrow.

"You just need to find your true love to kiss you and your curse of things dying when you touch them will go away," Yoshimasa's glasses glinted in the late afternoon light "Let's kiss!"

Rin's quick and inconsiderate reflexes had Yoshimasa kissing two of her fingers and having his lips peeling.

"Pervert."

Yoshimasa looked up at Rin sadly who folded her arms. He looked down before standing.

"Then how about we go out and not touch?" he offered "Hey, I bet your touch won't be able to reach me if I wear gloves!"

Rin looked up at him before glancing at her hands.

"I would have worn my gloves but they insisted it would be ridiculous considering the weather…"

"It's not ridiculous, it's you."

Rin looked up at Yoshimasa.

"So how about it?" he gave her a smile which enticed flakes of skin to drift down into the grass "Will you go out with me?"

"They said you're not good enough for me," Rin answered and Yoshimasa winced.

"Do you think that?" he asked.

"I'm not interested in boys."

Yoshimasa sighed softly and folded his arms. He then snapped his fingers.

"One date, we don't even have to touch," he said.

"Date? Where?" Rin tilted her head.

"I will come tomorrow morning," Yoshimasa said quickly, his eyes darting left and right in thought.

"I am due to meet them to go to the beach," Rin said and Yoshimasa deflated.

"But I have two tickets for the fun park…" he murmured and Rin tilted her head to the side.

"…I could have caught hyperthermia and I am in no condition to go to the beach," she said and Yoshimasa looked at her in hope "Supposing no-one sees me at the fun park because they're all gone to the coast, it should be alright, should it not?"

"Ah, yes!" Yoshimasa nodded and jumped to his feet "Right, shall I walk you home now?"

"We were going to go to the café," Rin sighed as she glanced at the darkening sky "But I suppose the girls have more pressing issues given their untimely take off. So I suppose it will be beneficial for me to have someone escort me home."

"Um…" Yoshimasa felt a little lost as she looked up at him before standing.

"You may walk me home," Rin said before walking off.

"O-Oh! Right, wait for me!"

Rin didn't look at him once during their awkward walk to her home.

* * *

"Megumi! Megumi!"

Megumi stopped once she reached the pavement right outside the forest, gasping for breath as Yuuto caught up to her. Achievement surged through him as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. He had reached her first! He'd beaten the others to get to her. It was a lucky break that Yoshimasa had scared the others off and being the fastest in the class had given him a greater advantage to comfort Megumi. The beautiful blonde glanced at him and smiled weakly.

"Oh my," she whispered softly "That startled me."

Yuuto smiled and glanced at the sky as Megumi brushed herself down.

"I didn't realise you were the one to hang out with…him," she said dismissively and Yuuto chuckled.

"We were in the area, Miyu wanted to grab some flowers to please his sister and Yoshi went tree climbing then."

Yuuto just shrugged and Megumi laughed.

"Besides, I never penned you for someone to hang around Rin," he countered and Megumi blushed.

"Well she makes me look more beautiful," she said dismissively, tossing her blonde locks "Then again, I suppose Yoshimasa makes your little friendship circle look cool."

"He is a bit of a punching bag, the poor thing," Yuuto tutted "Hey, it's getting late, shall I walk you home?"

"Oh, we were going to stop at the café," Megumi frowned and looked around "Oh, my friends scattered since that frightful scene, looks like we might not go after all…"

"We could stop by the café and grab a quick coffee," Yuuto shrugged and Megumi giggled.

"Oh, Yuuto, are you asking me out on a date?" she asked and Yuuto blushed lightly.

"Uh…" Yuuto shifted and swallowed "Would it please you?"

Megumi smiled thoughtfully before petting his cheek.

"I'd be delighted," she replied and offered her hand "Lead the way, dear sir."

Yuuto's heart soared.

"S-Sure!"

He took her hand and they began walking down the pavement, Megumi taking her phone out to contact the other girls. Once the text messages were sent, they arrived at the café and settled down at their table, a latte in Megumi's hand and a mocha in Yuuto's. Yuuto hung onto every word that Megumi said which made the blonde smile, she enjoyed the attention. She always was popular everywhere she went. Valentine's Days would involve crowds and crowds of boys yearning for her chocolate. She would receive flowers, jewellery and sometimes the odd plush toy from admirers. It was wonderful to be the centre of attention and the icing on the cake was that she had her group of friends that she's had since she was ten and Rin. Hana had insisted that Rin should hang out with them when they began attending high school and it had its perks. Thankfully Hana never suggested any more friends to the social group, six girls in her bedroom was quite enough.

"So, uh, busy tomorrow?" Yuuto asked and Megumi smiled.

"I'm sorry, we're all heading to the beach," she said "We've all been talking about it for a while and it'll be Rin's first time. She always wears a swimsuit for swimming lessons, it'll be great to see her in a bikini!"

She could picture Rin's face when presented with the bikini she'd picked out for her. Probably either a poker face or a face of absolute mortification. But Megumi worried, Rin looked very skinny in her swimming costume, perhaps she was anorexic? Megumi sighed and grimaced when she pictured a sickly looking Rin with her ribs poking out of her skin and her pale, skeletal limbs out on display for the sun to burn. Megumi shuddered and shook her head to get rid of the nasty thought. She glanced at Yuuto and lifted an eyebrow when she saw him staring over her shoulder with a small red trickle coming out of his nose.

"Um, Yuuto?" she called as she waved a hand in his face which got his attention "Are you being a pervert?"

"Hm?" Yuuto straightened up and Megumi smirked, tapping under her nose.

Yuuto lifted a hand and felt the blood before exclaiming.

"Oh! I'm sorry! So sorry!"

Megumi giggled behind her cup as Yuuto scrambled around to grab a tissue to dab the blood up.

"Oh, that's so adorable," she simpered as Yuuto blushed "Perverted but your reaction is simply to die for."

Yuuto coughed and turned his head to look out of the window whilst taking a big sip of his mocha.

"Megumi!"

Megumi jumped and smiled as Hana appeared at the window with Daiskue, jumping up and down before dragging the tall boy in to sit with them. Daiskue frowned and bent down to look at Yuuto.

"Did you slip and fall? There's a bit of blood around your nostrils."

"Ah," Yuuto stammered as he wiped his nose thoroughly "You could say that…"

Megumi giggled as Hana looked through the menu. She received a text message and glanced down at it.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed and Hana leaned over to look at the text to read it.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed and the boys exchanged a look.

"Problem?" Daiskue raised an eyebrow.

"It's Rin!" Hana sighed "She was out in the sun too long and fainted from the heat. Apparently she might not be able make it to the beach tomorrow."

"And worse of all, that creep Yoshimasa had to carry her home," Megumi shuddered.

"Ew," they both shivered.

"He's not that bad," Yuuto frowned.

"Yeah, he makes us look good," Daiskue snorted.

"But I really wanted to see Rin in a bikini!" Hana whined "We even found the perfect one for her, didn't we?"

"Yeah, it was the perfect pink two piece," Megumi huffed.

"No, it was black," Hana frowned.

"Darling, black isn't in this season," Megumi scoffed "Black absorbs heat and that's why Rin had a heatstroke today, she absorbs too much heat with her hair, her gothic make-up and those emo clothes. I made sure to swap that bikini with the pink one."

"Maybe she's just sensitive to heat, she often stays in during the summer," Hana shrugged.

"Hana, you've known her the longest, tell us a little about her," Daiskue asked and Megumi smiled deviously.

"Yes, Hana, all her dirty little secrets," Megumi grinned and Hana shoved her.

"She isn't afraid of death and claims that everything around her dies," Hana shrugged "I don't believe her, no matter how many flowers die when I give them to her."

"Charming," Yuuto muttered.

"Ah, Ren's gone home, she fell into the river and Hiroshi's taken her home," Megumi huffed "That girl has to watch where she steps. I mean, she wanted a drink but that's going a bit too far."

"She's the one that suggested for us to go to the beach," Hana smiled "She is a killer swimmer though!"

"I know, I saw her at the swimming gala, she's like a dolphin," Daiskue nodded.

"Oh yeah, you're a strong swimmer too, aren't you?" Yuuto smiled up at the taller man.

"I'm sort of good, yeah," Daiskue chuckled.

"Found you!"

Hana jumped with a yelp when Mai suddenly appeared at the table with Toshiyuki panting for breath behind her.

"Honestly, running off like that," she scolded Hana and Megumi.

"You ran too!" Megumi pointed out.

"Only to make sure Hana didn't get lost again," Mai folded her arms "Really, it's a good thing you texted."

"You alright there, Toshi?" Yuuto snorted and Toshiyuki took in a deep breath and sighed.

"She runs fast," he rasped.

"Ah, Riku isn't going to turn up," Megumi said as she looked down at her phone again "Got distracted by a cat and is taking it home with her. Miyu's with her."

"Of course," Hana and Mai sighed and rolled their eyes whilst Toshiyuki grabbed two chairs for himself and Mai.

"So beach tomorrow?" Mai smiled and Hana grinned, clapping her hands excitedly.

"Yeah but Rin can't come!" Hana pouted and Mai frowned "Heatstroke, might not be a good idea for her to come to the beach with us."

"Heatstroke?!" Mai exclaimed "It isn't even that hot!"

"It's because she wears too much black," Megumi rolled her eyes whilst applying her lipstick through the reflection of her mobile screen.

"How about we come along?" Yuuto suggested.

"No boys," Mai growled and Hana pouted.

"Come on, Mai, the more the merrier!" Hana pleaded.

"We promised that this was going to be a girls' special get together!" Mai said sternly.

"It'll be fun," Megumi shrugged.

"Well I don't like it," Mai folded her arms "Boys perving over you? That isn't a good idea of a good time."

"How about we perv over you instead then?" Daiskue smirked

Toshiyuki placed a firm hand on Mai's shoulder to keep her in her seat when she tried to lash out and smack him.

"We could make sure no guys with ill intentions will come anywhere near you," Yuuto said solemnly.

"Will Yoshimasa be there?" Megumi asked sceptically.

"Well I highly doubt he'd want to come if Rin can't come," Toshiyuki frowned.

"Then it'll be fine," Megumi smiled.

"Yes, maybe he'll even take care of her," Mai suggested with a smile.

"On the other hand, bring him, we can't have Rin suffer!" Hana exclaimed and Toshiyuki took his phone out.

"Calling him," he said and pressed it to his ear "Oi, Yoshi, we're going to the beach tomorrow. What? Other plans?"

Everyone stared at him as his facial expressions turned from surprise to disbelief before he smirked and stood.

"Excuse me."

He walked out and everyone craned their heads to watch him laugh and shake his head.

"I never knew Toshi was that close to Yoshi," Megumi raised an eyebrow.

"Something must have happened, this is suspicious," Daiskue commented with narrowed eyes.

Toshiyuki talked to Yoshimasa for a few more minutes before hanging up and coming back in.

"Yoshi has other plans which I, as a gentleman, will not say to respect his privacy."

"No-one has respect for Yoshi, come on, tell us," Yuuto whined and Toshiyuki shook his head.

"Nuh-uh."

"Aw, come on!"

"It's nearly six, I'm leaving," Mai said as she stood.

"I'm coming with you," Toshiyuki said as he jumped to his feet and dashed out with Mai as Yuuto tried to climb over Daiskue to grab him.

"Toshi!" he whined.

"We should be leaving soon too," Megumi smiled as she waved Hana out of the booth and winked at Yuuto "Thanks for the drink, Yuuto!"

"Bye!" Hana grinned as they walked out leaving the boys to pay the bill.

* * *

"Six of them," Zeus grumbled as he, Odin and Ra sat around their model of Earth, watching the group of girls.

He raised his staff and six silhouettes of the girls in question.

"There is only enough energy in that group for one goddess to be determined," Ra murmured thoughtfully.

"I know who it is," Odin declared and pointed to one shadowed figure.

"It's hard to tell," Ra argued "We need a closer examination."

"What do you suggest?" Odin asked.

"Zeus, your academy to bring humans and gods closer…" Ra glanced at Zeus who was eyeing one girl thoughtfully "It was a success, wasn't it?"

"It calmed Baldr but didn't halt his death," Zeus replied grimly and gave Odin an apologetic look.

"What's done is done, it was written by the oracle, we couldn't' stop it," Odin said gravely.

"If we put these girls under a series of trials," Ra cupped his chin in thought "then wouldn't we be able to determine which one is one of our missing goddesses?"

"And have gods relating to those goddesses determine which one of them is a missing goddess," Zeus nodded.

"Why go through this when it clearly is this woman?" Odin asked as he pointed to one of the girls again.

"You're just paranoid," Ra dismissed "You've been looking for her since the day she was lost."

"Ra, that day is coming quickly and if she isn't at her post then…"

"It won't take long," Zeus interrupted the Norse god "I promise you, Odin. We will find her before that day. It would be a grave mistake if it isn't her and one of the other girls is a different missing goddess."

"They all have potential, shouldn't we give them all a fair trial?" Ra proposed.

"We are looking for our goddesses too," Zeus narrowed his eyes at Odin who closed his.

"Fine," he nodded "But I will have Fenrir and Jörmungandr as the gods that will assist with the trials."

"Why would you do that?!" Ra and Zeus lurched in their thrones.

"They're the best choice," Odin said dismissively.

"They are not gods, they're monsters," Ra narrowed his eyes "If Thoth couldn't handle their father when he was at the academy then what makes you think he'll be able to handle his sons?"

"They will have their powers restrained like what happened at your little school," Odin said and glanced at Zeus.

"If that's so then I will have Ares keeping an eye on them then," Zeus said whilst turning his staff "Poseidon too."

"I choose Horus and Ptah," Ra decided after some thought.

"So we're agreed," Odin nodded.

"Not quite but if you're sure that those creatures will find your goddess then we'll allow it," Ra said and Zeus nodded sternly.

"Agreed."

* * *

Rin woke when a voice called out to her. She sat up and spotted an eerie glow coming from outside her window and opened it to look down at the glowing corpse at the door. Curiosity got to her as she got out of bed, pulled her gloves on and ran down to check the corpse at the front door. It looked grim and judging by the way it looked, Rin guessed that this person either had the life sucked out of them or was starved to death. She bent down and touched the corpse carefully, searching for a pulse if it had any, though it was very unlikely. What she didn't realise was that one of her gloves had a tiny pinprick and her skin touched the corpse, making it glow brighter. Rin winced and jumped to her feet, covering her eyes when it flashed and everything white.

* * *

"Megumi…"

Megumi woke up slowly and yawned tiredly. She turned on her side with the intent to snuggle further into her bed to go back to sleep. But what disturbed her was a bright pink glow coming from her window. She sat up with a frown, got up and pulled her dressing gown on.

"Honestly, disturbing my beauty sleep," she grumbled as she pulled her window open and look at the seashell that lay on her window ledge "Aw, a pretty little shell. We should collect more at the beach."

She reached out and picked it up, stumbling back when a bright light blinded her once her fingers met with the shell.

* * *

Hana yawned as she woke up and saw the vase of flowers glowing on her bedside table. She sat up and tilted her head to the side curiously.

"That's weird," she commented and reached out to touch the petals.

She recoiled when green light flashed and blinded her.

* * *

Mai's insomnia was acting up again. Mai huffed as she continued practicing her kendo katas. This wasn't tiring her out at all. Maybe if she pushed herself hard enough, she'd be able to exhaust herself out enough to go to sleep. With a firm nod she brought her sword up again, prepared to go through another kata when a glow attracted her attention to her family's shield. She stood and walked over with a soft frown.

"You're not supposed to do that," she said as she reached out to touch it.

There was a flash of blue and Mai gasped, covering her eyes to make sure they wouldn't get damaged.

* * *

"Thirsty," Ren murmured like a little robot as she walked downstairs in a zombie like state with an empty glass "Water. Drink."

She chanted this little mantra under her breath as she made her way to the sink in the kitchen and poured some water out, not noticing the strange glow in it. She began drinking it and a flash later she was gone, the glass falling and spilling the water all over the floor.

* * *

"Kitty, come back!" Riku called as she chased the glowing cat downstairs "You should be sleeping! Your paw hasn't healed yet."

The cat mewed and she continued chasing it outside.

"That glow looks awful, don't tell me you have some sort radiation?" Riku gasped "Come here!"

She lunged and caught the cat and yellow light flooded her vision.

* * *

"Wake up."

Rin felt a hand touch her and she grabbed it.

"Don't touch, you'll die," she said out of habit as she opened her eyes slowly.

Over her was a young man with wild silver hair and bright yellow eyes. He sported a wolf earring on his earlobe and Rin could see visible fangs through his parted lips.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I was checking to see if you were alright after your trip here," the young man replied as he moved off her "My name is Fenrir."

"You sound suspicious," Rin said as she sat up "Where am I?"

"Ah, that," Fenrir grinned, pearl white teeth glinting from the sunrays that were filtering through the windows "Welcome to Asgard. Valhalla, specifically."

"Asgard? Valhalla?!"

Rin leapt to her feet and winced, shrinking away from the sun when it hit her face. It took a few minutes for her to adjust and she stared out with wide eyes.

"Asgard…" she echoed "Home of the…Norse gods? Valhalla…where Odin is…"

Fenrir grinned wider.

"It's pretty, huh?" he said "It's been so long since I've been here."

"But what am I doing here, I'm a normal human being," Rin said slowly as she recovered her poker face.

"You've been chosen to go through a series of trials to recover and reclaim your divine powers as a goddess if you pass."

Rin felt a cold chill run down her spine and she gritted her teeth.

"I refuse," she declared and Fenrir blinked "I have no desire to become a goddess. Take me back to Earth."

"Can't, you have to go through these trials, it won't affect your time on Earth if you don't pass."

"I said I refuse!" Rin argued fiercely.

"Oi," Fenrir snarled and Rin stepped away warily "I said I can't."

Rin looked away with a distasteful glare and Fenrir huffed.

"Look, I don't really want to be here," he confessed "Neither does my brother. We're just here because our sister is missing and we have to find her before the end of the world. And there is a chance that you or one of your friends could be her."

"Friends?" Rin echoed "Who? Who else is here?"

"Five others," Fenrir smirked as he held out five fingers.

Rin sagged her shoulders and sighed softly.

"Right, at least I'm not alone then…" she murmured.

"Hey, let me show you around, potential little sister!" Fenrir said as he put an arm around her.

"Get off, you'll die," Rin said as she pushed him away and stepped out of the room.

"Stop right there!"

Rin stopped as a tanned hand slammed into the wall next to her head and she was faced with a tall tanned man who wore a monocle.

"Thoth!" Fenrir exclaimed.

"Hm, you're supposed to be the candidate for her?" Thoth murmured as he bent over her "You certainly don't look like you'd be Loki's daughter."

"I hope I'm not," Rin said as he pulled away and walked down the corridor "Why am I the candidate for your sister?"

Fenrir pointed to his neck and Rin felt around her neck to find a necklace with a skull on it and she huffed.

"It's like I'm wearing a label for everyone to see," she grumbled and flounced off.

"Oi, you don't know where you're going!"

* * *

Ren slowly woke up and saw a young man with long red hair and a silver snake around his ear squinting as he looked at a book, turning the pages slowly. He looked up when she sat up and flickered his forked tongue at her.

"You're here to take part in trialsss in order to ressstore your divinity if you passs," he said as he closed the book and put it on the bookshelf.

"Come again?" Ren blinked and the man stood, brushing back some hair.

The man looked down at her with a soft frown.

"Well you appeared here, you're a candidate to be a Norssse goddesss," he hissed "The other godsss, my brother and I will judge and asssesss you."

"Wait, you must be mistaken," Ren protested "Me? A goddess?"

"You're a candidate for her, I sssee," the man huffed as he bent down and looked at her necklace "Hm, I wasss hoping ssshe would ssstay disssappeared…"

He stood and Ren scrambled to her feet.

"What is going on here, who are you? Where am I?"

"I jussst told you why you're here," the man hissed irritably "My name isss Jörmungandr. Thisss isss Asssgard."

"Asgard?" Ren repeated "The home of the gods in Norse mythology?"

"Yesss."

"And you're…supposed to be a snake."

"Yesss."

"And I'm going through trials to become a goddess?"

"If you passs, yess."

"Alright, I'm dreaming and I'm going to proceed to wake up, nice meeting you."

Ren turned to walk into the nearest wall but was halted as a hand hit the wall, missing her face by inches. She turned and looked up at Thoth who adjusted his monocle to examine her.

"Hm, how good are you with a net?" he asked.

"Excuse me?" Ren raised an eyebrow.

"Thought as much, I don't see you becoming much of a goddess either."

He pulled away and walked off, Jörmungandr following.

"Wait for me," Ren said as she followed them reluctantly.

* * *

Megumi slowly opened her eyes and found herself nestled in grass. She sat up and rubbed her head, squinting as the sun rested its rays on her.

"Where is this? Why am I not home?" she murmured in a daze.

"You're awake."

Megumi lifted her head to look at the man with dark red curls before her who offered his hand.

"My name is Ares," he said "God of War."

"Oh my," Megumi smiled as she took his hand and was helped up "This must be a dream if I'm meeting someone as handsome as you."

"Aren't you the charmer?" Ares hummed as he placed his hands on his hips "Well, you'd be delighted to know you and your friends have been chosen to take part in some trials to prove that you are one of our missing goddesses."

Megumi laughed and pushed his shoulder.

"Oh my, do I really look that stupid?" she asked.

"Yes."

Megumi screamed as a hand lashed out and hit the tree behind her, just missing her face. She bristled as Thoth's monocle glinted as he drifted his eyes down to her neck and she pulled her top up to avoid him looking at her breasts.

"Hn, you might have the face but you might not necessarily have the makings of a goddess," Thoth sighed as he pulled away and walked off.

"H-hey!" Megumi whined.

"Megumi!"

Megumi turned her head to see Ren following a tall man with red hair.

"Ren!" she breathed as she pressed a hand to her heart as it slowly calmed after Thoth's abrupt appearance.

"Wait up!" Ren called as she continued jogging after the tall redhead.

"Thoth, isss my sssissster here?" the redhead hissed.

"She's with your brother, but I doubt she's your sister."

"Where?"

"How should I know?"

The redhead hissed in contempt before turning and bumping into Ren.

"Move."

Ren blinked as she was shoved to the side and the redhead stormed off angrily.

"Let me show you two around if it's going to be a pain," Ares sighed "Don't mind him, he isn't a real god, just scum that Odin summoned to help with the trials."

"Oh my, Ren, are you OK?" Megumi asked as she grabbed Ren by the arm.

"Thirsty," Ren answered blankly.

* * *

Hana smiled as she curled up happily, taking in the scent of flowers.

"They weren't kidding when they said you loved flowers."

"Indeed," Hana sighed in her sleep.

Wait… Hana jolted upright and stared at the man with long blue hair near her, flicking at the flowers idly.

"Who are you?"

"Poseidon, god of the sea."

"Where am I?"

"Asgard for some reason."

"Why am I here?"

"You and your friends are here for trials to determine which one of you are goddesses."

"Really?!" Hana squealed as she jumped to her feet.

"Yes."

Hana jumped with a squeak as a hand slammed into the wall nearby when she found that she got cornered by a tall man with a monocle.

"Hey, Thoth," Poseidon raised an eyebrow as Thoth stared at Hana.

"Hn, I hope you're not her if your voice goes as high as that," he said before moving away.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Hana exclaimed and Poseidon winced.

"That, lower your voice," he grumbled whilst digging a finger into his ear.

* * *

The moment Mai woke up, she sprung to her feet and held her bamboo sword out…to find out she didn't have it anymore. She looked down at her hands and turned on her heel, pointing to the man behind her with an accusing finger.

"Who are you, what am I doing here, where's my sword, what do you want with me, are my family safe, are my friends safe?"

"Chill!" the man interrupted her as she took in a deep breath "Horus, you're here for some trials to determine whether or not you are a goddess, at home, we just want you to go through these trials, yes and yes."

Mai took in a deep breath and sighed, lowering her finger.

"Horus, an Egyptian god, you certainly look the part," she commented as she looked at his tan.

"Thank you," Horus smiled as he pushed back some dark hair, green eyes glinting happily.

"Hmph."

Mai brought her hands up when another tanned man came up to her, slamming his hand onto the wall behind her to look down at her.

"And this here is Thoth," Horus smiled nervously.

"Hm…"

Thoth seemed sceptical as he looked her up and down and left them. Mai huffed.

"I didn't realise the god of knowledge would be so intimidating," she murmured.

"Oh, you know your Egyptian mythology," Horus beamed.

"I have insomnia, gives me a lot of time to read," Mai shrugged "But if you really are Horus, prove it. Turn into an eagle."

"Eh?" Horus raised his eyebrows "But I'm not allowed to use my powers and certainly not in Asgard."

"That doesn't sound Egyptian," Mai frowned.

"No, it's Norse and trust me, I'm not thrilled about it either," Horus grumbled as he rubbed the back of his head.

* * *

Riku mewed as she curled up into a ball on the carpet of the main lobby. Ptah lingered over her, golden eyes shining with uncertainty as he reached out to pat her head.

"Ptah."

Ptah withdrew as Thoth wandered in and crouched before Riku, carefully taking the cat pendent to look at. He looked down at her and hummed.

"She certainly does act like a cat," he murmured whilst letting go and standing up.

"I want her to pass," Ptah murmured.

"So do I but Odin has it in his head that we have a Norse goddess," Thoth grumbled as he adjusted his monocle.

"Is that why we're in Asgard?" Ptah asked with a scowl.

"Yes and he's even called Loki's sons to help in the trials," Thoth drawled with folded arms.

"But they're supposed to be prisoned until the end of the world," Ptah said in disbelief.

Thoth glanced at Fenrir who led Rin around, pointing to areas of the hall. Rin's eyes wandered over to them and she looked down at Riku before moving over to her, crouching and poking her.

"Wake up," she said and Riku mewed, trying to swat at her like a cat swatting at a fly "Riku, this is serious, we're in a serious situation."

Riku purred before grabbing Rin's wrist.

"Riku…I killed your baby kitten and had to cremate it."

"You did WHAT?!" Riku exclaimed as she sat up and stared at Rin.

"Nothing but it woke you up," Rin said as she stood.

"Rin!"

Rin staggered as Megumi launched herself onto her back and hugged her tightly.

"Oh Rin, you're here too!" she cheered as Rin struggled to pull her arms away.

"Get…off…"

"What, you even wear your gloves to bed? You're so weird, Rin!"

"Get off."

"Hey, how's your stroke? Are you better already? Hey, then we can go to the beach after all and we got you this perfect bikini…"

"Get off her!"

Megumi screamed as Jörmungandr yanked her away then grabbed Rin's face, staring down at her.

"Get off me or you'll die," Rin said as she strained at his wrists.

Jörmungandr was silent briefly before hugging her tightly.

"He's molesting her!" Megumi screamed and pointed which made the majority wince.

"Ares, control your charge," Thoth ordered the god of war as Ren helped Riku up to her feet.

"Get…off…me…" Rin breathed as Jörmungandr's arms crushed her frail body.

"Jörmungandr, you're stronger than you think with those arms, be gentler," Fenrir said as he petted his brother's shoulder.

"Sssorry," Jörmungandr retreated and Rin stumbled, holding her sides "It'sss jussst been ssso long…"

"Why is he talking like that?" Hana asked as she and Poseidon wandered in.

"Hana!" Megumi cried.

"Megumi!"

"Will you shut up?!" Thoth snapped as he massaged his ears "If this is normally how it is in Olympus then I'm relieved we're not having the trials there."

"Egypt would have been better," Horus complained as he and Mai came in.

"Oh, you're all here!" Mai sighed in relief as she ran out to check everyone and paused at the kneeling Rin "Rin, are you still sick?"

"I'm fine," Rin breathed as Fenrir and Jörmungandr lingered around her with concerned looks.

"I told you two before, she looks nothing like you or your parents," Thoth said and was met with two beastly glares "Don't look at me like that."

"Just watch your tongue," Fenrir snarled as he bared his teeth.

"That is enough."

The brothers whined in pain as their earrings burned and Odin appeared at the top of the staircase, looking down at them disdainfully with his eye.

"You are here for one purpose before being sent back to your imprisonment."

The brothers glared at him before backing off into the line of gods that had assembled behind the girls. Mai helped Rin to her feet who dared not to look up at the god before them.

"You have all been chosen to take part in our trials of divinity," he declared "After the trials, only one of you will pass. The rest will return to Earth at the time when you were taken."

"And what about the one who passes?" Mai asked.

Odin looked down at her.

"There will be no record of your existence as you will be re-established as a goddess in your own right."

That created a settle of unease over the girls as they glanced at each other with worried looks.

"The trials will begin tomorrow."

An hourglass, filled with crystals in the top half, descended behind the girls.

"The trials will test your abilities and help bring out your identity as a goddess, once the last crystal falls we will have found our missing goddess."

Rin looked up at the hourglass as the girls chattered under their breaths excitedly.

"You will be shown to your rooms. Goodnight."

* * *

"Wow, comfy sofas!" Hana cried out as she landed on the cream loveseat in the common area that had six doors, each leading to the girls' rooms.

"Who do you think is going to pass?" Mai asked curiously.

"Well me, obviously," Megumi laughed "I look like a goddess, my name means goddess and come on, I'd be a pretty good goddess."

"It means you won't be coming back to Earth with us," Riku reminded her and she simply sighed.

"Yeah but I'll visit," Megumi grinned.

"Hey, which goddesses are do you think you're going to be?" Ren asked "I might be Ran. My pendant takes shape of a wave and Thoth asked me how good I was with a net."

"Ooo, what does she do?" Hana asked and Ren shrugged.

"From what I know, she tries to snatch sailors with her net and drowns them," she said.

"Oh, pleasant," Megumi snorted "Mine's a seashell…"

"You might be a Greek goddess considering Ares is watching over you," Ren hummed as she looked at her "I would guess Aphrodite."

"Oh well obviously," Megumi tossed her hair.

"Do me, do me!" Hana begged as stuck her hand up and looked at her pendant "I'm…some wheat? Aw, why not a flower?"

"You might be Demeter, goddess of harvest," Ren said with a curious smile "Um, Mai, your pendent is a shield?"

"Feels like it," Mai murmured as she tried to crane her neck to look at it.

"You might be an Egyptian goddess…maybe Wadjet?"

"But isn't she a snake?" Mai wrinkled her nose.

"Well, you do have scaly skin," Megumi smirked and cackled when Mai slapped her on the arm.

"Am I Egyptian goddess too? I have a cat," Riku fiddled with her pendent.

"Bastet," Mai and Ren said together "Cat goddess."

"Yay, I'm a kitty goddess!" Riku cheered.

"What's your pendent, Rin?"

Everyone glanced at where Rin was but saw she was gone. Mai frowned and glanced at the door which had Rin's name on.

"She might have gone to bed early," she said.

"How can she sleep at an exciting time like this?!" Megumi exclaimed and huffed "Guess even her needs her beauty sleep."

"I didn't quite see what she was wearing, a skull?" Ren hummed.

"You sure? That sounds like something from her jewellery box," Megumi shrugged as she played with her pendent.

"Well another big clue was how Fenrir and his brother were fawning over her," Ren frowned softly "I can never say the other one's name right."

"Yeah, that was totally creepy," Hana nodded.

"If I catch them anywhere near her again, I'll make them regret it," Megumi vowed.

"Good luck with that wolf guy," Riku shuddered "Anyway, Ren, you were saying?"

"Fenrir and his brother have a sister," Ren said as she closed her eyes.

"So they think she's their sister," Mai confirmed.

"Yes but Rin and her don't quite match," Ren sighed as she sat back "The sister is supposed to be ugly and frail."

"Rin isn't exactly a beauty," Megumi rolled her eyes.

"No, Rin looks normal, I'm just saying," Ren said "I suppose those two are just missing their sister pretty bad. I can't see Rin being…her at all."

"Who is this ugly goddess?" Hana tilted her head.

Ren opened her eyes.

"Hel."

* * *

Rin sat on her bed after removing her gloves, staring at the potted plant next to her. She reached out and tapped it, watching it slowly wither away. She scoffed.

"Even in the great Asgard things can die."

She reached out for the blankets and pulled them over her, nursing her sides where Jörmungandr had gripped her. Her eyes fluttered closed as a gentle breeze blew through the room, scattering the dust of the wilted plant through her room.


	2. Chapter 2

Rin woke up groggily when the sun's rays filtered through the window and rested on her sickly pale skin. She grunted and stretched out, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, yawning deeply with a scowl. It took her a moment to realise that she wasn't in her room but in Asgard and remembered why she was here. She let out an audible sigh of frustration, glaring at the sunrise venomously. She wobbled onto her feet, a little bit startled at her sudden fragility before walking over to the mirror to get a good look at her face.

"Oh f-!"

* * *

"Megumi, you're up early," Mai commented as she sipped her coffee.

Megumi smiled brightly as she tossed her golden locks.

"I feel beautiful as well as look it today," she announced happily "I feel like the sun, absolutely glowing!"

"Yeah, you're blinding," Mai smiled softly as she averted her eyes to Megumi's sudden boost in beauty.

Megumi suddenly narrowed her eyes at Mai suspiciously.

"What's wrong, Mai?" she asked slowly whilst stalking over to her and Mai averted her eyes gripping her coffee mug.

"Nothing…" she murmured.

Mai jumped as Megumi came very close to her and looked her in the eye. Megumi gasped, backing away with wide, alarmed eyes.

"What's wrong with your eyes?!" she shrieked at the slit pupils.

Mai grimaced.

"Sssomething to do with usss being potential goddesssesss…" she hissed and Megumi shrieked louder.

"Oh my God, what's wrong with your voice?!"

"Do you mind?" Riku snapped as she opened her bedroom door to glare at them "I'm trying to sleep."

Megumi and Mai stared at Riku blankly for a few moments before bursting out in laughter. Riku frowned at them, very cranky about being woken up.

"What?!" Riku barked viciously and Megumi just fell onto the sofas whilst Mai raised a steady hand to point to her head.

Riku lifted her hands and patted her head then paused. There was something on her head, two somethings in fact and they were…twitching. Riku scratched them and a purr rumbled in her throat after she felt a surge of satisfaction from it. The girls laughed harder until Rin's door creaked open where the laughs faded at her haggard appearance. Rin ignored them, scanning the room before pointing at her target, Megumi.

"You," she said, unaffected by Megumi's beauty, Riku's ears and Mai's eyes "Need make-up."

"No I don't," Megumi snorted "You need make-up."

"That's what I meant. Need it now."

The girls tried to get closer to Rin, wondering why she suddenly wanted make-up but she was covering the majority of her face with her hair so it was hard to determine what was wrong.

"I don't see why you need it," Riku shrugged.

"Are your eyesss different too?" Mai asked "They're not red anymore…"

Rin squeezed her eyes shut.

"Make-up. …And contacts!"

"What kind?" Megumi asked warily.

"Something to cover spots up," Rin answered.

"Aw, sweetie, I'd love too but my make-up is only tailored for me," Megumi sighed regretfully and wandered to the sofa near her room.

"I don't have any," Riku's cat ears flattened.

"Me neither," Mai shrugged "But when I wasss with Horusss, he ssshowed me thisss place where you can order and get whatever you want jussst next to the main entrance into the palace. I don't think you need to pay for anything, but they ssshould have make-up and contact lensssesss for you if you need them."

"It is really hard to understand you with all that hissing," Megumi commented with a raised eyebrow as Rin quickly made her way to the door.

"Is it easy to spot?" she asked quickly.

"You can't misssss it," Mai nodded.

The girls shrieked as Rin suddenly collapsed in front of the door and Rin hissed in pain, turning over to cradle her arm.

"Oh my goodness, Rin!" Megumi gasped as she covered her mouth "When did you get that bruise?!"

"Just now," Rin grunted as she got back up to her feet "I'm struggling to run, I even have to be careful about walking. My legs are so feeble and I'm bruising easily."

"You do not look well at all," Riku murmured.

"I don't feel good either," Rin sighed as she opened the door "I'll be right back."

"Wait, do you want…?"

But Rin was already gone.

"What's all the noise about?"

Everyone turned to see Ren, sopping wet.

"Girl, what happened to you?" Megumi wrinkled her nose at her salty scent and shuffled away from her.

"I woke up like this," Ren huffed as she pulled some seaweed out of her hair "My pillow is soaked through."

"Hey, girls!" Hana burst in with her arms full of fruit and vegetables.

"Where did you get all of that from?" Riku asked with a wrinkled nose as Megumi took an apple.

"Oh, there are lots of plants on my balcony," Hana replied as she went to the counter to put the food down, sorting into the different types of fruit and vegetables she had harvested "I was checking them for weeds this morning and they suddenly just came into bloom. Next thing I know, I'm harvesting tomatoes from what was once a sprout."

"Tastes good too," Megumi smiled and gave a thumbs up.

"Where's Rin?" Ren asked after checking Rin's room.

"Off to get make-up," Mai shrugged "Ssshe ssseemsss to have bruisssing on her face becaussse ssshe'sss been injuring herssself too easssily."

Hana shrieked at Mai's hissing, prompting the older girl to cover her mouth and blush.

"Oh yeah, Mai's going to be sounding like that for a while," Riku said with a bright smile.

* * *

Rin crouched by the counter, ignoring the person's concerns, adjusting to her new contacts. She had already applied the make-up and her eyes were stinging a little from the contact lenses she had just gotten in with the person by the counter's help.

"I'm fine," she hissed at the faceless man "Just give me a minute to adjust."

She pushed the tube of make-up into her pocket, blinking carefully as the lenses settled over her pupils. It was her first time using contacts and thanks to the quick crash course on putting them in, she had managed to get them in and possibly injure her eyes permanently. She took in deep breaths as she fully opened her eyes slowly and saw Jörmungandr in front of her, hands out and about to cup her cheeks.

"Hel?" he hissed and Rin pushed his hands away.

"I'm fine and my name is Rin," she said and Jörmungandr hissed before picking her up by the arms "Oi."

Jörmungandr turned and went through a couple of corridors before arriving in a common room with a pool, French windows leading to a garden, a sofa and two doors that probably led to two bedrooms, Fenrir's and Jörmungandr's. The whole place looked new and the only thing that might have been used was the pool, Jörmungandr's hands felt a bit cold and damp and his hair was dripping a little. Unless he had a shower or a bath… Jörmungandr paused by the sofa, his tongue flickering out slowly as he seemed to figure out how to put Rin down on the sofa. Rin glared at him as he looked at the sofa then at her legs, huffing before looking to the room with the wolf's head engraved in it.

"Fenrir!"

Fenrir came out, combing his hair and spotted Rin with a raised eyebrow. He then saw Jörmungandr and snorted with a smirk, making the younger brother hiss at him angrily.

"You still not sure on how you can use your arms?" he said amusedly before putting the comb away and walking over to them.

"Ssshut up, it wasss easssier for you becaussse you had limbsss to begin with!" Jörmungandr hissed at his older brother.

"Please make him put me down," Rin said calmly to the wolf.

Fenrir stood opposite them and frowned, examining the way Jörmungandr was holding Rin then looking at the sofa. He looked like he was deep in thought, his hands moving up and down like a seesaw as he took his time to analyse the situation.

"It was a long while ago since I last saw her being carried," he murmured as he moved his arms around Rin's body "Um…I can just about remember how they would carry her…oh, I don't know, I always carried her on my back."

"I don't want to be carried, I want to be put down," Rin said "I'm not weak nor am I a little doll. So, I beg of you, please. Put me down!"

"Like this…"

Rin felt Fenrir's arm loop around her knees then around her shoulders and she was being carried by him instead.

"Yes, Mor would always carry her like this," Fenrir nodded with a satisfied smile "Odin a little less gentle when he found her."

"Mor?" Rin repeated and wriggled "Put me down!"

"It meansss mother," Jörmungandr explained as he took a hold of her ankle and lifted it to look at her leg stretched out.

Rin tried to jerk her leg out of his grip but he was just too strong and she didn't have the strength that she once had to resist him. Fenrir's nose brushed against her cheek and she flinched away, his nose was damp and cold.

"She's wearing that skin coloured paste that covers spots," Fenrir said and Jörmungandr snapped his head up to attention.

Rin froze at the two stares she got from the human turned creatures.

"I'm not your sister," she said quickly.

"Why are you wearing the passste then?" Jörmungandr asked.

"There's quite a bit on you too," Fenrir raised an eyebrow.

"…Bruises. And a lady must make sure her appearance is impeccable."

"There's no shame in having bruises, you'll probably be covered with them by the end of the trials," Fenrir frowned "And how did you get the bruises on your face?"

"The stone floor helped when I fell over on these legs," Rin drawled as she nodded to her skinny legs "How can anyone use these kinds of limbs anyway?"

"Ssstill, that'sss no reassson to wear ssstupid make-up," Jörmungandr hissed in displeasure "Allow me…"

Rin pulled away as Jörmungandr's wet hand began getting closer to her face…

"You two!"

The brothers and Rin snapped their heads to the door when it slammed open, revealing a very irritated looking Thoth.

"And the perceived queen of Helheim," he said with a curt nod "You're late for the first trial. To the gardens, now."

Fenrir and Jörmungandr met each other's gazes before speeding out of the room.

"Put me down!"

* * *

The gods and girls were lined up before the beautiful garden, waiting for Rin, Jörmungandr and Fenrir. Ren admired the wonderful sight in front of her. A stone ledge separated them from the lush green grass that was stretched out until the horizon. Tall majestic trees were littered across the landscape, reminding the young girl about her grandma's orchard. Ren turned her head when Jörmungandr arrived and stood behind her whilst Fenrir carried Rin into the garden where the first trial was to take place. Hana and Megumi opened their mouths to order the wolf to put her down but were nudged by Poseidon and Ares sharply to keep their mouths shut. Thoth regarded the way Fenrir carefully sat Rin down on the stone ledge and cleared his throat.

"This first trial will test an important virtue that a goddess must possess to have her throne," he said as six pegasi landed behind him "Your task shall be to befriend these creatures. Take as much time as you need."

As he stepped aside, Riku, Hana and Megumi dashed forward to pet their pegasi. Poseidon, Thoth and Ptah let out a tired sigh as Riku and Hana scared off their pegasi. Meanwhile, Megumi's pegasus let Megumi hug its neck and Megumi beamed smugly at the other candidates.

"Show off," Hana snorted before folding her arms and watching her pegasus graze a few metres away from her.

She wandered over to a tree and touched it, making the blossoms rapidly bloom, fall and then apples began falling around her. She caught one and began creeping forward to the pegasus, offering it. Riku on the other hand was chasing her pegasus around like a maniac, making Ptah and Thoth exchange a look.

"I'm losing hope," Ptah said.

"Trust the Greeks to befriend them immediately, they practically live with them," Thoth muttered as he adjusted his monocle.

"Just remember that this is only the first trial," Ares said as he watched Megumi settled down with her pegasus under the shade of the nearest tree.

Ren and Mai were staring at their pegasi with calculating looks. Mai flickered her tongue out to taste the air and stepped forward carefully. Her pegasus lifted its head at her and she froze on the spot. They made eye contact and didn't move for a few minutes until the pegasus backed away, making Mai sigh softly. Ren carefully took a step forward next and her pegasus turned tail and flew off a couple of feet away.

"That isn't even fair," she huffed and placed her hands on her hips then looked at Rin.

The frail looking girl hadn't even lifted a finger, she was just lounging on the stone ledge that she had been put on, not even glancing at her pegasus. She drummed her skeletal fingers on the stone idly whilst Fenrir and Jörmungandr kept exchanging looks behind her. Ren looked at Rin's bony legs and winced.

"Rin, do you need help?" she asked and Rin looked at her lazily.

"Ren, I'm supposed to be the goddess of death," she explained "I'm supposed to be the queen of literal hell. Do you really think I have a chance?"

Ren frowned and folded her arms.

"There must be a reason why they assigned this particular task to us," she said.

Rin rolled her eyes and lay back, arms crossed behind her head to act as a pillow.

"You go and try to complete it," she said dismissively as a leaf landed on her forehead and shrivelled up "I couldn't care less."

Ren twisted her lips then turned her head sharply at Mai's sharp gasp. Riku had managed to pounce onto her pegasus and it was flying around in a panic. The poor girl lost grip eventually and Mai was quick to catch her. Ren shook her head with a giggle before glancing at Rin again.

"You sure?" she murmured.

"I'm pretty sure it would be cheating if you helped me befriend her," Rin nodded with a bored sigh "Don't mind me, just go and claim your position as a goddess."

"I'm pretty sure Megumi's won this round," Ren snorted.

"Isn't stopping the others," Rin yawned and closed her eyes.

She dozed off quickly and Ren sighed, pushing a wet strand of hair behind her ear then advancing carefully towards her pegasus. Hana and Megumi were sitting together, feeding and cuddling their pegasi with gleeful looks. Riku was still trying to force befriending her pegasus with the use of pouncing and Mai somehow had to botch her attempts to befriend her pegasus to save her from falling to her death. It was only the fifteenth time when Mai caught Riku that the cat girl had enough.

"I'm just going to watch it for now," she decided whilst lying on her front, legs in the air as she played with the grass "It's pretty."

Mai seemed somewhat relieved before returning to her own task of getting closer to her pegasus. It proved to be difficult because no matter how quiet she kept, it would always hear her and move away. Mai began to feel weary, most probably because she didn't get much sleep last night. But she persevered, no task should be left uncompleted.

Ren felt like she was making progress, she was slowly but steadily getting closer to her pegasus. It took a while but eventually she managed to pet her pegasus's neck. It froze for a while and she did the same thing but then it turned and nuzzled her hand. It accepted her. Ren broke out into a massive smile as she gently hugged the pegasus, enjoying the feel of its coat. It snorted when her wet hair was pressed against it and she pulled away, petting its nose gently. Ren then looked over to Rin who was still dozing, her pegasus grazing and still waiting for her to approach it. She grimaced softly before nudging her pegasus to follow her where they joined Megumi and Hana.

"Piece of cake," Megumi grinned as Ren picked up an apple to feed her pegasus with.

"Easy for you to say," Ren murmured "It took me ages and Mai seems to be having a hard time with…you know…"

She gestured to her face and the other girls nodded grimly.

"It's very unbecoming, I feel so sorry for her," Megumi sighed.

"Riku looks so adorable with her kitty ears though," Hana chimed and imitated a cat.

"Why thank you!" Riku grinned as she rode her pegasus over to them.

"Oh, you managed to befriend it!" Megumi said with a surprised look "I thought it would never happen with you bouncing all over the place."

"If you lot can do it then so can I!" Riku cheered and her pegasus reared up "We're going to go flying now!"

"Oh that sounds like fun," Hana perked up.

"Let's all go flying," Megumi proposed.

"Mm, nuh-uh," Ren shook her head "I prefer to keep my feet on the ground."

"Suit yourself," Hana shrugged as she and Megumi mounted their pegasi "Let's go!"

"Yeehaw!"

Ren smiled as they took off then saw Mai sleeping with her head on her pegasus. She smiled wider but it faded as she saw Rin still napping and her pegasus still far away from her. She sighed and shook her head.

"Oh Rin…"

She wanted to go over and encourage her again, however considering the situation she decided that it wouldn't be a good idea to interfere with the others and their trials. So she refrained herself from moving and hugged her pegasus gently.

* * *

"Wow, it's so beautiful!"

Riku, Hana and Megumi admired the view above the clouds whilst they circled around the palace that they had stayed the night in. The wind blew their hair back as their pegasi flew through the clouds and they spiralled through the sky gleefully.

"Imagine, we could do this as much as possible if we pass the trials!" Riku cheered.

"Probably not you," Hana said as she brushed her hair out of her face "Egyptians don't have pegasi."

"You'll be surrounded by cats though," Megumi shrugged "And in Egypt."

"Oh, I've always wanted to go to Egypt!" Riku squealed as she clapped her hands together "I would love to see the pyramids, see the tombs, oh! And go down the Nile!"

"Yeah but crocodiles," Megumi snorted and Riku winced.

"Meanwhile we could be in Olympus!" Hana cheered "Although we should be careful of Zeus."

"At least we won't be surrounded by doom and gloom," Megumi snorted "Sounds like Rin's headed for that. Not that it doesn't suit her."

"I don't know," Riku murmured "The way Ren described Helheim seems scary and cruel."

"And Ren sounds like she's going to be underwater for the rest of her life if she passes," Hana frowned "Norse mythology doesn't sound very nice."

"I know right?" Megumi scrunched her nose "I mean, a wolf, a snake and a goddess being siblings? What's up with that?"

"The gods don't seem to welcome them nicely either," Hana sighed "I suppose I can understand why, I wouldn't want to get cosy with a giant snake or a scary wolf."

"Especially the scary wolf," Riku shivered "Poor Rin, being carried around by that monster."

"I'm not sure what's worse," Megumi sighed "Having those hideous bruises, those ghastly legs or being carried around like a little pet by a horrible beast."

The girls shared a collective sigh before screaming when their pegasi suddenly began flying down and swooping on the fields.

* * *

"I'm hungry," Riku pouted as she and Mai rubbed their stomachs after a couple of hours since the trial started "I want chicken."

"It isss roughly lunch time now," Mai nodded "I sssaw a dining hall…"

"Let's go eat!" Hana said as she pumped her fists "Come on, Rin!"

"Not so fast."

The five girls looked up at Thoth who slammed his hand into the wall to catch their attention.

"Miss Rin won't be going anywhere until she completes the task."

The girls protested as Rin cracked an eye open to watch them.

"But it's lunchtime, she'll starve!" Megumi exclaimed "She's starving even now, look at her!"

"She can't leave or she'll be disqualified."

"Right, I'm off," Rin decided as she got to her feet.

Fenrir and Jörmungandr were quick to block her path, Jörmungandr hissing softly as a warning. Rin swayed slightly due to her fragility then glared at Thoth.

"Look, I'm not going to put up with being handicapped like this," she said venomously.

Thoth narrowed his eyes at her and Ren was quick to jog over.

"A moment please?" she murmured to the brothers and she pulled Rin aside "Rin, just do as he says and it'll be fine."

"Ren, you have no idea what it's like!" Rin hissed and pulled her arm out of her grip "Look what you've done to me, even though you were as gentle as a flower!"

Ren gasped at the mark she had made on Rin's bicep and stepped away holding her mouth.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"I don't want to put up with this, Ren, I'm basically someone who should be in one of those medical bubble things!" Rin growled "And if I do win these trials, I'll be locked up in Helheim and we both know how horrible Helheim is."

"But you would be queen, it won't be so bad," Ren tried to soothe her.

"I'll be all alone," Rin grumbled "And even if you die, there's a low chance that any of you will end up in Helheim, it's a place for sinners and cowards."

Ren opened her mouth then closed it again, shaking her head.

"I'm…not sure what to say…"

Rin rolled her eyes then Ren gently touched her shoulder.

"Rin, you might not even pass the trials," she whispered "Look at Megumi and Hana, one of them will probably take their position as a goddess instead."

"Just because they were the first ones to finish this particular task?"

Rin snorted.

"Doesn't mean they've got guaranteed places."

"Rin, it's not like you're really the goddess of death," Ren whispered "You've got nothing to hide. So please? Just continue these trials then we can go back home when the real goddess is chosen."

Rin sighed slowly before walking carefully back to the stone ledge. She glared at Ren before lying back down and closing her eyes. Ren huffed before shaking her head and joining the other girls.

"Let's go," she said and they reluctantly left.

Rin listened to their footsteps leave along with the gods. She glanced over at the brothers.

"You really want your sister back?" she raised an eyebrow "You're delusional enough to push her identity onto me?"

"We'll take every chance we can get," Fenrir replied with a grim look "to at least see our sister once again before Ragnarok."

"Our futuresss don't look so bright in that prophecy," Jörmungandr said glumly "It wasss a very violent ssseparation we had to go through and before…"

The brothers glanced at one another uncertainly.

"Before we meet our fates," Fenrir continued "it would settle us to have some closure to say goodbye and good luck to our only little sister."

"Well I'm not the goddess you're looking for," Rin said dismissively as she looked away.

Jörmungandr hissed before glaring into space. Fenrir sat back, folding his arms whilst eyeing the pegasus hungrily. His brother snorted as it prompted the poor winged horse to back off. Rin apparently didn't mind, just keeping her eyes closed and ignoring the fact that her potential brother was potentially jeopardizing her chances of finishing her task.

"Hungry?" Jörmungandr whispered.

"You have an abundant supply of food in the sea whilst I have to put up with the scraps they feed me and they barely feed us as humans so forgive me if I just want to sink my fangs into that supple hind," Fenrir snarled lowly "I was chained up no less. At least you could move around freely."

"Hmm, yesss but I've been getting harasssssed by that hammer wielding blockhead whilssst peacefully passssing my time," Jörmungandr hissed, his tongue waving.

"You'll have your revenge," Fenrir snorted "Don't worry."

* * *

Hana picked at her food whilst Riku and Mai eagerly dug into their steaks, apparently very hungry. She kept looking at the door, hoping for Rin to come through at any minute.

"She wasn't even trying, is she really just going to stay there forever?" she asked which had Ren shrugging.

"Think about it this way," she proposed as she pricked a roasted tomato with her fork "Would you want death to come towards you?"

"Not one chance, I'm too young to die," Megumi nodded before taking a bite out of her corn on the cob.

"And Rin really needsss to be careful with moving, remember," Mai said which had the other girls shivering "Oh get over it!"

"It's just so unexpected," Ren explained "You hissing is the last thing I expect when talking to you."

Mai flicked her forked tongue at her balefully as Riku paused in her eating, looking up at the other girls.

"Should we go back and cheer her on after we're done eating?" she asked.

"I wouldn't."

Poseidon and Ares came over with their plates of food, sitting next to the girls.

"It can be tricky to befriend pegasi," Ares explained "It looks like your friend just has a stubborn one."

"Rin hasn't even lifted a finger, maybe the pegasus just doesn't want to be friends?" Hana suggested.

"Now, now," Poseidon held up a finger "If my gloomy brother, the God of the Underworld, can have his own loyal pet, then I'm sure the perceived queen of Helheim will be able to befriend a jittery pegasus."

"Yes but there's a difference between horses and dogs," Ren commented with a raised eyebrow.

"Why are we even waiting for her to finish?" Megumi asked "I befriended my pegasus first, I win, can't we just get over it?"

Both gods frowned at this and Ren cleared her throat.

"Megumi," she said tentatively "I don't think the aim of the trial was to be the first to befriend a pegasus."

Megumi frowned as Poseidon nodded.

"It was to test a virtue," he explained "Thoth never said anything about a race."

"Virtue?" Hana repeated as she perked up "Like brains? I know I had to use mine to get to my pegasus."

"We aren't at liberty to say," Ares shrugged as he ate his grapes.

"If it isss intelligence then Rin'sss going to need a lot of it," Mai sighed as she sipped her water.

* * *

Rin glared as the apple in her hand shrivelled and began rotting away and threw it aside. Her gloves were still in her room so everything she touched withered away. Her stomach was protesting loudly, it wanted food. She couldn't leave the garden to go and get them and she couldn't go to get food that wouldn't rot at her touch and the only food available was the apples that Hana had grown. Rin paused and gave a glance towards the brothers. …Or just Fenrir, Jörmungandr was gone. Fenrir tilted his head at her and Rin sat up. He didn't even look away as she took her shirt off, keeping it around her wrists so her hands were covered.

"It is rude to stare," she said as she managed to pick up an apple without killing it and took a large bite.

"You're supposed to be my sister, I'm just a wolf and there's not much to see," Fenrir shrugged.

"A fair bit of mythology includes bestiality and incest," Rin raised an eyebrow.

Fenrir smirked cheekily.

"You want me to leer?" he asked.

"I didn't say anything about wanting anything," Rin sneered.

Jörmungandr chose to come into the garden at that moment with a basket of golden apples and hissed displeasingly.

"Put your ssshirt back on!" he scolded her whilst approaching the semi-nude girl.

"I'm hungry and everything that I touch dies," Rin snorted as she took another bite "Plus your brother says that there's nothing to see."

Jörmungandr batted her apple away, placed the basket down and swiftly pulled her shirt back over her head to cover her chest.

"The godsss, essspecially the Greek godsss, are lecherousss," he hissed as Rin glared at him.

He offered the golden apples to her.

"Thessse won't die," he promised her "Try."

Rin snorted and grabbed an apple, expecting it to start rotting…but it still remained its shiny golden colour. She blinked in surprise, much to Jörmungandr's enjoyment and gingerly took a bite, glaring at the entertained hiss. Jörmungandr flicked his tongue at her glare as she lay back down, still eating. The snake brother retreated to sit with Fenrir. Rin was in the midst of her second bite when her pegasus made a snorting sound. She turned to look at the beautiful white winged horse, her eyes trained on her. Specifically the shiny apple in her hand. Hadn't she eaten a couple of Hana's apples? Rin even left a pile for her. But it was still there and all Rin remembered of the pegasus's movements was her just…sunbathing and walking around the trees a little bit. Rin shrugged as she dipped into the basket and threw a golden apple at her. The pegasus eagerly caught it and ate it happily.

"Fussy eater, huh?" Rin snorted as she gobbled it up and pricked her ears at her again.

Rin couldn't help but smile a little wryly at the spectacle as she picked up another apple and tossed it to the pegasus with as much strength as she could muster. She neighed happily as she jumped to snap up the apple once more, shaking her mane out and snorting expectantly for another apple to be tossed over to her. Rin weighed a particular heavy apple in her hand and swung it at the pegasus, raising an eyebrow as she jumped to catch it then trot around happily, as if she'd won a prize.

"Showy, aren't you?" she commented before the apple was consumed.

So it became a little game between them. Jörmungandr went back and forth with baskets and more baskets of golden apples much to Fenrir's and Rin's amusement because this pegasus's appetite seemed insatiable. Rin even managed to do some trick shots, although a bit awkward with the little strength she had in her arms and in her sitting position. The sun began to set when the pegasus finally settled down and began sunbathing in the sunset to which Rin flopped back down into a lying position, exhausted. Throwing an arm over her eyes, she began to drift off to sleep.

"We're going to be here all night," Fenrir huffed and folded his arms "Jö, could you go to Odin and ask him if I can go into my original form? It's getting cold and I miss my fur."

Jörmungandr nodded and left the garden.

* * *

"Rin's not done yet?" Riku whined and flattened her ears "But it's bedtime."

"It might take all night," Ptah said glumly as he picked up the basket of kittens Riku had been cooing over.

"Oh, not even Rin can spend that long finishing something," Megumi snorted as she tossed a grape into her mouth.

"Ares, you're required in the garden," Thoth said as he walked into the room where they were all gathered "Odin has granted permission for Fenrir to turn into his beast form temporarily."

"Can't he summon one of his own gods to keep an eye on him?" Ares sneered.

"I share your frustration, however you were selected to help keep an eye on the beasts and not Hephaestus."

Ares snorted as he rose from his place, brushing past Thoth on the way out.

"Hephaestus?" Megumi inquired with a frown.

"The lame and deformed blacksmith of the Greek gods," Ren supplied then smirked "Married to Aphrodite."

Megumi dropped her grapes in horror as Riku and Hana burst out into fits of giggles.

"Ssstill want to be a goddesss?" Mai hissed with a smirk.

Ptah smiled as Riku began rolling around the floor, howling in pure bliss. Poseidon chortled before clearing his throat.

"He's not so bad," he tried defending him "It's what's on the inside that counts and he is a skilled blacksmith."

"But surely, I deserve better!" Megumi demanded "I don't want to be married to a deformed god!"

Poseidon's smile wavered and he bowed his head a little.

"Don't worry about that, the marriage between them fell apart," he explained and Megumi looked up at him with narrowed eyes "In fact, Aphrodite disappeared shortly after Hephaestus caught her and Ares together and humiliated them in front of the Olympians."

"Really?" Megumi looked torn, she wasn't sure whether to be embarrassed or relieved.

"We all thought she was just having a temper tantrum but when Eros reported that she had been neglecting her duties, we tried to look for her. But like Demeter, she was gone, hiding amongst the mortals."

"We think Bastet disappeared because she got lost," Ptah murmured "She wandered a lot and when she didn't appear for the next few days, we found that she was most probably lost amongst the mortals."

"Wadjet was easy to fade into the background, she's been gone for the longest," Horus huffed "I worry."

"At least she can take care of herself," Ptah snorted.

"What about Demeter?" Hana asked as she sat up and Poseidon frowned.

"She's an unusual one," the god of the sea whistled "It wasn't long after Hades married Persephone, or Kore, however you want to name her. Ever since her mother disappeared, she's been picking up the slack."

Ren blinked as she tilted her head and the other gods looked at her with regretful shrugs.

"We're not sure about the Norse goddesses," Ptah explained.

"You might want to ask the brothers about them," Horus suggested.

"I don't know, they seem a bit…unfriendly," Riku winced.

"Beasts normally are," Poseidon agreed "Especially those who enjoy killing."

"I just want to know how Hel became missing if she was meant to be locked up in Helheim," Ren murmured.

"It was right after I sentenced her to her prison."

Heads turned as Odin walked in with a sombre look.

"She was still a child and frail to the point that we didn't even need to chain her to keep her in one place," he explained as the gods respectively bowed to him "On the way to Helheim, she somehow managed to escape into the world of mortals."

"Why was she sentenced?" Hana asked with a frown "Did she do something wrong?"

Odin shook his head dismissively.

"It's a matter about her parentage," he explained "and her role in Ragnarok. The wise thing to do with her is to separate her and her brothers in different realms."

"To separate a family by imprisoning them is a bit harsh," Ren commented.

"It's their father's fault. He was warned not to have anything to do with their mother and he knew just what his brood would result in."

"You can't jussst do that," Mai hissed.

"Don't question me," Odin's voice turned dark and the girls flinched.

"But if you want to separate the siblings, you could just leave Hel in the realm of mortals," Megumi raised an eyebrow.

"He can't do that, Meg," Ren said quickly as Odin's aura darkened a little "The middle brother who's a snake resides in the realm of mortals already so that's not separating them."

"She is also needed to rule over Helheim," Odin said shortly before turning away, about to leave.

"If I may," Ren spoke up to stop him in his step "what happened to Ran?"

Odin hesitated as he glanced over his shoulder.

"Who knows?" he replied "She kept to herself most of the time. Jörmungandr never took notice of her so we didn't realise that she was gone until I realised she hadn't come to Asgard after I summoned her."

He waved his hand dismissively before leaving the room.

* * *

Ares watched as the sun completely disappeared over the horizon and Fenrir shivered in his wolf form, his yellow eyes trained on Rin who didn't seem to mind the cold, she was still napping away on her stone ledge. A snort caught the attention of both Ares and Fenrir. The pegasus had begun to move. She was hesitant at first but she was steadily moving over to Rin. Rin seemed to be in too deep a sleep to notice as she continued to snooze away. It wasn't long until the pegasus settled herself by Rin's head, gently grabbed the scruff of her shirt and lifted Rin up to lean her head against her body.

"Do you mind?" Rin snarled as she glared up at the pegasus.

The pegasus snorted and wrapped a wing around her body. Rin shrugged and closed her eyes to go back to sleep. Ares let out a sigh of relief whilst Fenrir wagged his tail happily. At least they won't have to wait for the rest of this chilling night, Ares should go and inform Thoth. He and Fenrir exchanged a look. Ares couldn't leave until either Fenrir reverted back to human form or come with him to inform Thoth that Rin had finished the task and Fenrir didn't look like he was going to do either. With a snarl, he stood, paced back and forth as Fenrir lay his head in between his paws, staying put stubbornly. Ares couldn't trust a beast to be alone, he might eat the pegasus whole and cause havoc, perhaps even snatch Rin away and attempt to escape Asgard and his fate. He suddenly stopped and felt his belt.

* * *

The girls jumped as a horn echoed throughout Asgard.

"What was that?!" Ren exclaimed.

"It came from the garden…" Riku whimpered sleepily as she swayed back and forth, having been woken up by the horn.

Poseidon was the first out of the room, heading towards the garden with his trident at hand.

"Ares, what is it?!" he demanded as Odin, Thoth and Jörmungandr entered the garden at the same time with him.

Ares gave an apologetic shrug.

"He wouldn't move or transform back, I didn't know how else to get your attention," he explained as the girls arrived at the garden, shaken up and watching the exchange between the gods.

"And why did you need to get our attention?" Thoth asked with folded arms.

Fenrir growled as Jörmungandr hissed happily. Everyone turned their heads and saw Rin with her pegasus glaring daggers at Ares, Rin covering her ears.

"Rin managed to befriend the pegasus!" Hana squealed and clapped her hands.

Thoth adjusted his monocle whilst giving Rin a calculating look.

"Well done, Miss Rin," he drawled "We admire your…patience."

Rin's heart leapt as she heard his tone and struggled to her feet. But she lost balance due to the combination of lying down for so long and her lack of strength and fell into Fenrir's awaiting arms.

"Tomorrow afternoon will be the next time we gather for the second task," Thoth announced then turned to Ares "And no more false alarms."

"I'm not losing a hand to drag beasts around," Ares sneered.

Fenrir and Jörmungandr snarled at him as they began leaving the garden, Rin still in Fenrir's arms. Their gazes wavered when they saw Odin and they disappeared down the corridors.

* * *

"Well thank goodness that's finally over," Megumi sighed as she tossed her blonde hair whilst lounging in the little common room.

"I'm happy that Rin managed to befriend her pegasus, even in her situation," Ren smiled happily.

"Ssshe perssservered," Mai nodded as Riku fell asleep beside her "I ressspect that."

"How did she even do it anyway?" Megumi frowned.

"I suppose she just let it come to her," Ren shrugged "Probably the only way for her to befriend it because she couldn't run and jump like little Riku over here."

"Indeed," Mai smirked as she tickled Riku's ears.

"I wonder if she managed to eat in the end," Hana huffed "I made sure to leave plenty of apples for her."

"I don't think Rin likes apples much," Ren frowned "There was still a bit of a pile, wasn't there?"

"Not to mention the rotten apples around her," Megumi wrinkled her nose "Urgh! How ghastly!"

"Must be that goddess ability of death kicking in," Hana sighed "She must have tried eating the apples but they began rotting away in her hands."

"If that isss the cassse then maybe ssshe hasssn't had anything to eat all day," Mai hissed with concern.

"I don't think we ought to worry too much," Ren said "I saw baskets, maybe the brothers got her some food that didn't rot."

"As if they would know what food Rin would like," Megumi sighed as she lay herself out on the sofa.

"Well if she did eat, it isn't going to show on her body," Hana sagged her shoulders "Have you seen her feet? She might as well be a skeleton."

"She's gotten new bruises as well," Ren grimaced "Has anyone else had trouble with their changes? My clothes are starting to get a little stiff with the salt…"

"Me?" Megumi snorted "Trouble with my changes? As if."

The room seemed to get a little brighter as she tossed her hair with her nose up in the air.

"It'sss ssstill a little ssstrange to have thisss tongue," Mai hissed as she waved her forked tongue out "It will take a little more time to get usssed to. And Riku looksss like ssshe needsss more sssleep, maybe ssshe isss adopting the characterisssicsss of a cat."

"No problems with me," Hana grinned happily "Lots and lots of food to go around."

"Maybe but there'sss no meat," Mai hissed and rolled her eyes.

"You need your vegetables to grow up," Hana sniffed.

Mai responded by standing tall and towering over Hana who whimpered.

"Then maybe again, protein is mainly found in meat," she squeaked and Mai smirked.

Ren yanwed loudly, blinking her eyes slowly.

"I'm off to bed then," she announced and stood up "See you ladies tomorrow."

The girls collectively nodded as she retreated into her bedroom.

"We ssshould follow her example," Mai suggested as she picked Riku up "Goodnight."

Megumi rose and stretched her arms out with a loud yawn.

"Well, a little beauty sleep will benefit everyone," she sighed "Well, most people obviously. Goodnight, Hana dear."

"Night…"

Hana watched Megumi disappear into the bedroom and looked down at her hands, fiddling with her fingers.

"Rin can be beautiful," she murmured and glanced at Rin's bedroom.

She reached for some olives from the bowls on the counter and popped a couple in her mouth, staring into space abesnet-mindedly.

* * *

Rin's contacts were set aside in the cupboards at her sink along with her tube of face make-up. The water dripped off her face as she looked at her reflection, glaring at her changed appearance.

"Out of all the goddesses," she muttered sullenly whilst brushing her hair back visibly wincing when she could see the bones in her arms.

She managed to stumble over to her bed and bring the warm blanket over her body. Before lying down, however, she began to poke her body. She was convinced that she'd gotten so thin that she could feel every bone possible. Her ribs looked like they were trying to break through her skin and her neck felt uncomfortable with the skin clinging onto her skeleton. Her legs were the worst part of her body, it looked like she didn't have calves or thighs anymore. Her feet didn't look pretty either, bones poking out through her skin weren't attractive. Her clothes were sagging around her, she might have to go down to that shop again for better fitting clothes. Maybe one of the girls could give her something.

Rin lay her head on the pillows but didn't fall asleep immediately, she had been sleeping for most of the day after all. She couldn't help but feel a little jealous, the other girls were so much better off. Megumi was parading around with her heightened beauty, Hana was growing enough food for the starving children in Africa, Mai wasn't bothered about her changed appearance because at least she could walk properly, Riku was ecstatic with her feline features and Ren was just handling her seaweed hair problem. Meanwhile here she was, looking like literal death. Rin lifted her pendent to look at it with disdain. But her anger faded away quickly. She always knew that life had never been fair.


End file.
